Dallas Stars' Ray Whitney considered returning to Phoenix Coyotes

Even with the threat of another season without an owner hanging over negotiations, veteran winger Ray Whitney considered returning to the Coyotes.

It was dollars and term that largely keyed his decision to switch addresses in the Pacific Division, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $9 million with the Dallas Stars on Sunday when he became an unrestricted free agent.

"They weren't up there with the money, and the second year they were unable to commit the money to that second year," Whitney said about his talks with the Coyotes. "They were offering me a smaller two-year deal, quite a bit smaller, with the understanding that they have Oliver (Ekman-Larsson) coming up and Mike (Smith) coming up in another year. And I get that. You gotta understand those guys are gonna get a couple of big pay raises, so I get that."

With eight different NHL teams now on his resume, if anyone understands the business side of the game it's Whitney. But the uncertainty of the team's future in Glendale was still a factor in his thought process.

"That's what else scares you about a two year deal is where is the team going to be in two years?" Whitney said. "I'd still say it's gonna be iffy if it's going to be in Phoenix in two years. That was also, on a two-year deal, was not concerning but you still had to think about it."

The absence of an owner wasn't a distraction in the locker room, Whitney said, but he reiterated there were constant reminders about it when it came to the team's schedule.

"If you look at the scheduling, like I said at the end of the season in my exit meetings, you definitely need an owner because there's no way you should play 23 games in a row where you have to fly into them," Whitney said. "You fill our games and send us all over the place. If you have an owner who has something to say about that, it certainly helps. But (coach Dave Tippett and General Manager Don Maloney) did a great job of keeping it out of the room."

After a two-year stint with the Coyotes in which Whitney approached career-high numbers, the Coyotes wanted him and captain Shane Doan back on the roster. With Doan not set to start negotiations until Monday, the Coyotes still have a chance to re-sign him.

"It's a really tough deal for him right now, and he's really wanting to be in Phoenix and that's where he plans on being," Whitney said. "But I don't think he wants to necessarily sign a deal if it's not going to be there beyond a year. It doesn't make sense for him in that aspect.

"He's in a tough spot. I feel for him. He's a Coyote at heart; he always will be. For him not to be something drastic would have to happen, but it looks like it might be heading down that way."

Whitney said he would love to continue playing with Doan, but lobbying for a move to Dallas might be a wasted effort.

"I doubt highly that he's going to be anywhere other than the Phoenix Coyotes," Whitney said.

Ice chips

The Coyotes signed left wing Rob Klinkhammer to a one-year, two-way contract.

Winger Taylor Pyatt has switched coasts, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $3.1 million with the New York Rangers.